Alois and Claire arrive at the precinct with relative ease, courtesy of the early hours. Claire escorts Alois towards the Chief of Police's office. Some formalities must be put in order before Alois can get started with the case. Ah, the joys of bureaucracy.

Contrary to what the general public may assume, different branches of government do try to get along and communicate with each other. Conflict gets in the way of getting the job done. There's no sense for Alois to have an inflated ego if, for example, Chief Vela gets the final say on whether Alois can jump on in this case or not. On the other hand, having Alois on board would give her access to high-level equipment and increase her success rate.

Of course, this doesn't mean conflict doesn't happen, just discouraged—nothing like being able to stab each other in the back to keep people in check.

Claire knocks before speaking and rests a hand on the door handle, preparing to open it. "Chief? It's Detective Valencourt. Agent Rothbauer is here."

Internally, Alois cringes at the sound. It never feels right when Claire refers to him so formally.

"Please enter." A woman speaks from the other side, her voice low but smooth. 

Claire leads Alois in. Inside, Santana Vela, the Chief of Police, regards him with a polite smile. She seemed to be in the middle of writing, but she quickly set her pen and paper aside.

“Special Agent Alois Rothbauer…” Chief Vela gestures toward an empty seat in front of her desk. "Take a seat." 

Alois does as he's told.

"I'll grab Detective Darrow," Claire speaks and turns to Alois. "I'll see you later, champ, don't embarrass me."

She pats his shoulder and walks away.

He would've flipped her off if he wasn't in front of her boss. Instead, he keeps a nonchalant face as though nothing happened, preferring to observe the chief. 

This wasn't the first time he's heard her name, but this would be the first time he would be seeing her. He was always curious to meet what sort of person would be able to handle a city as hectic as Port Roxbury. Under her leadership, while rife with all sorts of activities, the city has a low crime rate. Rumor states that she's a woman whose refined disposition is juxtaposed by an air of ruthless efficiency—a sort of person who may say little but will hit very hard. 

He expected a stern-looking woman with an imposing stare—someone who looks seasoned in wrangling stubborn subordinates, possessing an athletic, possibly even hulking, figure.

Instead, the woman sitting in front, while indeed tall, cuts more of a svelte figure. Although her uniform fit implies that she's in good shape rather than rugged. She looks elegant with long and high features and her graying hair tied back in a low ponytail. 

Hmm, in hindsight, he realizes that the image he initially conjured in his head is closer to his grandmother.

She clasps her hands and places them on the desk, her polite smile still intact.

"It's good to finally meet you, Agent Rothbauer; I've heard many good things. Although I'd hoped the circumstances would be better."

"Likewise." Alois churns her words in his head, latching onto the word 'finally.' Was she always meaning to speak with him?

"You arrived so soon; shall I take this as a sign of confidence?" The chief scans him as she speaks.

"In a way. This would be the first time anyone from the list ever showed up." 

"Pity they're dead." Alois fights down a wince. The chief continues, whether she saw his reaction or not doesn't seem to matter to her. "Please, should you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. You have the full support of the Port Roxbury Police. This group of miscreants has ruined enough lives… as I'm sure you've seen firsthand." 

"Thank you." Prickly, but not the worst reception he's received. 

"This city will be their last stop. If the Scarlet Spades are here, we'll ensure it won't end up like last time."

Ah, there's the stab. A little low too. 

He nods. "My thoughts exactly." 

Regardless of the incarcerations that followed, the highlight of the Scarlet Spades case was the fact that their leader got away. It pointed out the government's shortcomings and left a threat of continuation; out of reach from justice, Scarlet Spades looked invincible and more than willing to reign terror. Everyone, including Alois, was sure they had this in the bag, yet they failed. He can imagine then that Chief Vela wouldn't be interested in this stain spilling over on her stellar career. On top of a swift resolution to avoid public panic, she could also be trying to save face or gain another star.

Right now, she's pretty closed off, but Alois thinks he's starting to understand her a little bit.

"I can see how much the city's peace means to you. I'll do my best to keep it that way."

Chief Vela opens her mouth but hesitates to speak; Alois doesn't break the silence, letting her find the words.

"Agent, about this case-"

Knock knock

"Chief?" A muffled male voice behind the door pipes up. 

A flash of emotion crosses her face; annoyance or relief, Alois is yet to ascertain. 

"Come in, Detective Darrow." 

The door swings open, revealing a bespectacled man dressed in office wear. His eyes meet with Alois,' and he smiles, showing off dimples on olive skin. 

"SA Rothbauer, meet one of my detectives, Felix Darrow." The man, Felix, waves at him. "He's currently in charge of the case since he's in Organized Crime. I had Detective Valencourt pass the case to him since she gets enough from Homicide. He'll catch you up on everything, and he can also help."

"If you don't mind," the detective supplies, voice with a deep warm timbre. 

"Not at all," Alois replies. Is he allowed to? "I'm grateful for the help."

He isn't interested in dealing with branch politics today; in any case, Alois wouldn't consider himself a local anymore; he could use the less antiquated intel. He observes the other man- blue-green eyes, broad shoulders, and curly brown hair. He seems friendly, not the type of person to crackdown on criminals, but Alois wouldn't be quick to judge. He's met enough people who swing between being angelic and satanic to make him think twice.

Cough cough, Claire, cough cough. 

"Nice to meet you." Alois offers a hand.

"The pleasure is mine." The detective grips his hand and firmly shakes it. He gives Alois a determined look, scrunching his eyebrows and looking down just a tad. The result makes his eyes glisten and appear more prominent. "I promise I won't let you down."

Hm. Where has Alois seen this?

"You don't need to impress me." Alois automatically replies, still processing.

"Right." The detective is still holding his hand.

Ah. Alois finds the right word.

A puppy.

"I'll let go now." The detective retracts his hand and places it in his pocket as though to restrain it from further movement, puppy eyes still trained on Alois.

It's like when a dog is told to sit. 

He can almost imagine a tail wagging behind him as though waiting for instructions.